A sophisticated operation targeting Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, resulting in exploding pagers, was the culmination of at least 15 years of planning by Israel, a US intelligence source has confirmed to ABC News. This "supply chain interdiction" operation, widely attributed to Israel, demonstrates the long-term strategic approach employed in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah.
Video: The aftermath of the explosion in Lebanon
According to the source, Israel had a hand in manufacturing the pagers that exploded on Hezbollah terrorists this week. The CIA had long been hesitant to employ such tactics due to the high risk to innocent civilians, the source added.
The intelligence source said that the planning for the attack involved the use of shell companies, with multiple layers of Israeli intelligence officers and their assets fronting a legitimate company that produced the pagers. Many involved in the work were reportedly unaware of their true employers.
The pagers were equipped with one to two ounces of explosives and a remote trigger switch, the source confirmed. The explosions in Lebanon over the past two days, triggered remotely, have resulted in at least 37 deaths and 2,931 injuries.
